CRITICAL THINKING


ON A DIME


Contractors have pivoted, practically overnight, to keep in step with DOD throughout the ongoing coronavirus pandemic response.


by Ellen Summey T


he federal government usually moves like a freight train—it’s big, it’s heavy and it doesn’t like sharp turns. But the Army and its partners in industry have proven this year that they can turn on a dime


if needed. In March, when COVID-19 first became part of our collective awareness in the U.S., the Army’s civilian and contrac- tor workforce largely occupied offices in federal buildings across the country and around the globe. With the DOD mandate to “protect the force,” Army senior leaders made the rapid shift to maximum telework, essentially switching tracks at full speed.


“Our mission of delivering materiel capabilities to the warfighter is accomplished by the total force, including military, civilian and defense industrial base partners,” Army Acquisition Executive Dr. Bruce D. Jette said in a memo dated March 24. “Undoubtedly, the impacts of the nation’s emergency response to COVID-19 have been acutely felt by contractors and vendors providing services and products to the Army,” he said. In the memo, Jette asked contracting officers and program managers to encourage telework where possible to minimize the health risks to the workforce. “Te resiliency and strength of our team is a national asset and crit- ical to the Army’s ability to meet mission requirements around the world,” he said.


So what has changed for DOD contractors in 2020? It depends on whom you ask.


ERIC STRAUSS, CONNECTED LOGISTICS


STAYING ON TRACK Eric Strauss, director of business development at Connected Logistics, said some things have changed but much remains the same. Te company, which is based in Huntsville, Alabama, provides logistics, systems engineering and program support to DOD and the Army, as well as other government contractors. “For us, so much has remained the same,” Strauss said. “I think it’s a testament to the flexibility and adaptability of contractors and small businesses in general. Most of our folks frequently work off- site or from a home office or from a client site, so in many ways, we’ve continued doing that and it’s worked very well.”


https://asc.ar my.mil 135


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